Saints In The Night: Midnight Confessions 4.0
by Denigoddess2001
Summary: A beautiful moonlit beach, a blushing maiden, a besotted Gargoyle and a kiss change two lives forever. This piece inspired "The Reckoning." Enjoy Demetrius/Wren fans.
1. Default Chapter

  
  
  
5/23/01  
Denigoddess@ aol.com  
  
  
Midnight Confessions  
Saints In The Night (Part IV)  
  
Demetrius stared at the still dark waters of the North Sea. The full golden Moon cast her shimmering reflection upon the waves. The entire sky was a tapestry painted upon a canvas of starlight. In the distance, the ebon gargoyle heard the sounds of the evening zephyr mingle with the gentle crashing of the tide. He felt the cool Scottish mist spray a thin sheen of water upon his wings. The wet sand felt good between his talons. He almost tasted the salt of the sea upon his tongue. He pondered what lay beyond the stones of Caledon.  
  
He halted his solitary trek along the moonlit beach. He gazed upwards to find a falling star streaking a blazing trail across the dark heavens. Demetrius languidly closed his lavender eyes. He allowed his most private secret wish to come forth to his lips. His smooth articulate lilt spoke the next words as though they were a sacred prayer.  
  
"Starlight shining in Caledon's sky.  
Only this one wish long be true hope I  
Across the sea and world I desire travel   
And the mysteries of this world I long to unravel."  
  
  
The Human female Wren Summers needed a much-deserved break from her pile of paperwork. Her recent adventure to Ainran had left her several days behind. Most of the ordered office and school supplies arrived without fail. Yet, there were worries on her mind that refused burial underneath an immense pile of paperwork. She needed a pause from the red tape and bureaucracy of education. [A walk on the beach might be just the thing!]  
  
Since her return from Ainran, he a particular individual plagued her thoughts. A gallant, swashbuckling individual with a ferocious protecting instinct and too much charisma for Wren's introverted nature. With those thoughts churning in her mind, Wren put away her paperwork. A new appreciation for life allowed her to leave it on her desk and simply enjoy a walk.  
  
A few weeks passed uneventfully since her return from Ainran. Demetrius remained steadfast in his position as assistant and confidant. He made coffee. He filed paperwork. He spoke with the clan on their priorities, wants and needs. He instructed her in Gargoyle culture and gave her insight on Gargoyle mindsets.  
  
[He destables my mindset.] Wren mused as she locked her office door and headed for the beach. It was chilly this evening. She reached inside to grab her woolen shawl from the coat tree. [I need to think about other things. It's futile and not healthy for my job.]  
  
She knew what required doing. She went to the office down the hall. She saw light from underneath the door and knew Owen was still working well after closing time. She longed for another alternative. [Yet, how can I remain at this job if I can't function? Demetrius distracts me and he's not even human, for God's sake! It's cruel irony that the first man I notice isn't a man, but a beast.]  
  
She inhaled slowly and deeply several times. She closed her eyes and focused upon the inner strength she rarely possessed. Her hand found itself rapping lightly upon Owen's door.  
  
"Yes?" Came the slightly nasal British accent from behind the door.  
  
"Owen? It's Wren." She said. She hated the small quiver she heard in her voice.  
  
"Yes, come in." He said pleasantly. She opened the door and stepped through into his very Spartan utilarian office. "Please, sit down." He motioned to the chair in front of his desk.  
  
"Thank you, Owen." She replied quietly and sat down.   
  
"What can I do for you this evening?"  
  
"I'll be honest." She sighed. "I don't think I'm the right person for this job."  
  
"Oh?" His brows raised behind his glasses in genuine surprise. "Why do you think that?"  
  
"The paper work is immense, more than I can get through in a reasonable amount of time. You may have heard about my recent dimensional displacement with Demetrius. I also know that there is at least one Gargoyle who resents my presence. I realized good public relations with the clan is paramount in my job's function." She folded her hands in her lap to keep them from trembling.  
  
"Wren, I recommended you because I know you deal well with pressure and challenges. The paperwork will always be there. The dimensional displacement was unique but not harmful. As for every gargoyle adoring you, it is irrelevant. Your job is to teach them about 21st century global culture and technology. Your job requires they learn Reading and Writing. You teach them well." He looked down from the bridge of his glasses. "Frankly, I can't believe that you're wishing to leave."  
  
"I still want to work for Xanatos Enterprise." She quickly amended. "I love working with the Gargoyles! It's just that...there are personal reasons as well for me asking for a transfer."  
  
"Where is it that you wish to go?" He asked.  
  
"I want to return to New York." She told him. "I also hear that the Linoma Bluffs office is in need of a department head for Research and Development."  
  
  
"That's all well and good, Wren." He replied. "Now, what are the real reasons you desire this transfer?"  
  
"I'm..." she struggled to find a truthful answer without divulging the most sacred truth. "homesick for the states."  
  
"I appreciate that. Based upon that reason alone, your request for a transfer is denied." He returned his attention to his work in front of him. Wren remained seated there and refused to budge. Moments seemed to pass until he let forth an annoyed sigh. "Is there anything else?"  
  
"Yes. I want a transfer Owen." She stated firmly. "Please."  
  
"Your talents are too valuable here to be transferred elsewhere." He stated.  
  
"Then, I'm giving you my formal notice. My resignation is effective immediately." She stated coldly. "I'll be leaving on the first plane in the morning."  
  
"As you wish." He replied blandly and returned his attention to her paperwork.  
  
Wren rose to her feet and stoically left the office. She walked slowly at first, but her steps increased in speed as she returned to her room in the castle. By the time she shut the door on her bedchambers, her hazel eyes flooded with tears. It wasn't supposed to have ended this way. What had gone so wrong?  
  
  
Twenty minutes later, her few possessions packed and by the door, Wren decided to walk one last time along the coast of Caledon Isle. The cold waves washed against her bare feet. The night wind howled with the mournful sound of a Banshee foretelling death. She cared little for the island's mystic beauty. It was lost on her.  
  
As she walked along, she thought of her time there. She had made few friends. She thought Goliath and Adrienne were very friendly acquaintances. Veda and Hudson was the closest thing she had to parents. Her relationship with the other gargoyles seemed distant, but amicable. Her recent altercation left her cold and hollow. She didn't belong her, but what else was new?  
  
She saw a silhouette ahead of her that she knew well. The golden beams of moonlight illuminated that form that she had come to know as her best friend.  
  
[This is NOT my night.]  
  
She watched the Gargoyle's luxuriant mane of argent hair fall back as he looked a the distant sky. She observed him with silent fascination as he cloaked his bat like wings about him in a protective shroud. She heard the "Starlight" rhyme fall upon her listening ears. He again fell silent. When he finished, he remained still staring at the cold and distant stars.  
  
[It isn't right to eavesdrop, Wren.  
  
I should tell him I'm here.  
  
No! He's the reason I'm leaving. I don't need to see him right now.  
  
Gods, do Mary Sues always have this much trouble?  
  
Yeah, but, they usually come out on top in the end.   
  
I am SUCH a coward.  
  
So, do something about it.  
  
I can't believe I'm arguing with myself!?]  
  
She quietly cleared her throat to subtly alert Demetrius that he was no longer alone.  
  
"That was lovely." She replied, as she stood rooted to her spot. Her body refused to move an inch.  
  
"Wren, I did not know you were near." He seemed rather started by her presence during his wistful reverie.  
  
"I didn't mean to disturb you." She felt as though she needed to apologize. "Are you all right?"  
  
"I am ..well." He answered slowly. His face took on a worried expression. "It is not wise for you to be out alone this time of night. There is little light for you here. You might stumble or injure yourself."  
  
He had a point.  
  
"You could be my escort." She teased him. She wanted to wipe that melancholy of that usually smiling face of his. "There is a full moon out tonight anyway. I certainly wouldn't mind the company."  
  
"I must beg your pardon, Milady, but I must decline your gracious offer." He replied formally.  
  
Wren felt the cold slap of his rejection bruise her pride and her heart. She felt shell-shocked that the usually joyful was pensive and morose. She also knew that he was stubborn.  
  
[Perhaps, it's a sign from on high.] She sighed. [Deal with it and get over it, Wren.]  
  
"Fine, then." The harshness in her voice caused him to visibly flinch. "Suit yourself. I have to finish packing."  
  
Demetrius seemed stunned speechless as he watched her turn an abrupt about-face and briskly walk away from him. His friend's voice chilled the air between them with its frigidity. He watched her steps become quicker until she broke into a run.  
  
She wanted to tell him good-bye but didn't want him to see her in tears. Each step became faster as the cutting pain of his rebuttal slashed at her heart. A sob escaped as she ran toward the castle. Wren refused to allow Demetrius the knowledge of him seeing her cry. She covered her mouth to stifle the sob that escaped her. She broke into a blind run. Tears burred her vision as she desperately sought to escape his powerful effect on her.  
  
Demetrius' sensitive ears heard that harsh sob in the night. He realized that his words had injured Wren's esteem. [By the dragon, why must all females, be they Gargoyle or human, be so bloody sensitive?! I must make amends.]  
  
"Wren, wait!" He called after her but to no avail. She seemed to race faster away from him.  
  
He growled in pure frustration.  
  
[So typically human. So damnably stubborn!] His eyes glowed with their brilliant fire as he readied himself for the chase. With new resolve to make amends and catch his prey, he chased after her.  
  
"Wren, stop!" He commanded the stubborn wench. He knew that once he caught up he would either throttle her or hug her; he hadn't decided which yet. Still the lass kept running. She gave him a merry chase. His invigorated determination caused Demetrius dropping to all fours in his pursuit of the obstinate wench.  
  
Wren heard him call after her. She hoped the island would split open and swallow the arrogant Gargoyle in one large, satisfying gulp. She refused to stop and give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She ignored his pleas and picked up the pace.  
  
"Wren, PLEASE!" Demetrius' voice beckoned her like a siren's call. She longed to stop. She wanted to listen to his mesmerizing baritone. She knew that if she did, resolve would melt away and humiliation would follow. She knew she would never follow through and leave Caledon Isle. All she held dear would be revealed.  
  
She heard his footsteps closing the distance behind her. She refused to give quarter. Her fierce pride demanded protection of her dignity. With that thought driving her, Wren sprinted toward Cair Ex Cathedra.  
  
She heard a savage roar behind her. Deftly, Demetrius closed the distance between them. With effortless agility, he caught the current, unfurled his wings, and took to the air. He soared several yards ahead of her and landed in front of Wren. He stood with wings cloaked, and arms folded.   
  
"Methinks, milady, that thou dost flee too much." He smirked. "Where are you going?"  
  
"Away from you." She retorted. Wren attempted to dart around the massive Gargoyle. Again, he proved to be far more agile than she. In one deft movement, Demetrius caught her waist with that agile prehensile tail. He easily pulled her into him with the edge of a powerful wing.  
  
"Damn you, Demetrius." She yelled as she squirmed to free herself of his hold. "Let me go."  
  
"Wren, cease and desist." He pulled her close to him and grasped her wrists to still her struggles. He saw the tears streaming freely down her face. "Wren, what ails you?"  
  
"Nothing now let me go." She nearly screamed.  
  
"Then, allow me to make my apologies for being so discourteous." [By the Dragon, are all human females so obstinate?]  
  
She ceased her movements. She refused to meet his lavender gaze. "Fine, Demetrius. You've apologized and I accept. End of story. Let me go."  
  
Demetrius felt stunned by the bitter anger in his friend's voice. He was taken aback by the fresh flow of tears. He let go and loosened his hold on her waist. The moonlight shadowed her face. It was then that her bright eyes, tears, and demeanor touched him. He felt a stab of remorse for his refusal of her company.  
  
"Wren, do not go." Demetrius said quietly. "I humbly ask your forgiveness for my transgression. I was immersed in contemplation and was caught unawares by your presence. In no way should I have spoken to you as I did."  
  
Indignation melted away when the powerful Gargoyle appeared remorseful and contrite. She turned to face him. She dared to let her hazel eyes stare into those fantastic violet orbs. She knew in that instant she was lost. Wren couldn't deny him anything even if she longed to do so. "Don't worry about it. It's no big deal. Just forget it."  
  
"I will not soon forget causing a friend's tears." A large ebon taloned thumb delicately wiped away a final tear.  
  
"There's sand in my eye." The lie sounded pathetic to her.  
  
"And I have sprouted feathers as of late." He teased lightly knowing that Wren was a horrible liar.  
  
Demetrius stared down into the dull hazel eyes of his friend. In that moment, between tears and talon, her eyes no longer seemed dull. When had they flashed with that emerald fire? Had they always had that subtle hint of dark amber? Her eyes danced with flecks of burnished gold. No human had eyes like Wren.  
  
Her straight brown hair seemed more the color of honey than the dull hue he once thought it. The style gave her gamine face the delicate air of a pixie.  
Demetrius remained dumbstruck by the fact that he saw beauty rather than plainness standing in front of him. He cocked his head to better appraise this newfound discovery.  
  
"What ails you, Milady?" He asked softly.  
  
Her shoulders slumped. "I no longer work for Xanatos."  
  
"What?" His wings lifted in surprise of her statement. "Did he release you from his employ! If so, I shall have words with him at once-"  
  
"No, don't." She placed a hand to his lips to silence him. "I quit tonight."  
  
"By the Dragon, why?"  
  
"I'm not the right person for the job, Demetrius." She told him vaguely. "I'm homesick."  
  
He heard the quaver in her voice. She truly was a horrible liar. "What is the phrase you would use in this instance? I believe you would say, 'that doesn't fly with me, try again."  
  
[Busted.]  
  
"I wanted to tell you good bye before I left." She tried to find words to end this conversation quickly. "I didn't want to leave without telling you that I ....appreciate all the help you've been to me these past few months. I wanted to tell you that I've been glad of our friendship and I wanted to thank you."  
  
"No words of thanks are needed." He cupped her cheek in his hand.  
  
"Don't." She sharply pulled away. "Please, don't do that."  
  
He abruptly moved his hand as if burned. "My apologies, Milady."  
  
She had never rejected his touch before this night. He found it odd that she did so now.  
  
He noticed she painted her lips in soft hues. He knew it a custom among some human females to do this. Tonight, Demetrius noticed they were a subtle hue of pink. It reminded him of an English rose. Her features were unlike what they appeared to him in the past. Was this what inspired some of the strange customs amongst them?  
  
"Then, I believe it is a human custom to kiss a friend good bye." He said innocently. [It also inspired Gargoyles to do impulsive things.]  
  
"A kiss?" She squeaked. "That's a human custom."  
  
"One that I've yet to learn." He teased. "We discussed the kiss in class when we watched several movies. It is a common demonstration amongst Humans."  
  
"Yes." She said slowly.  
  
"IT is a touch of the lips that displays affection of love, greeting or respect. It can also be used as a farewell gesture."  
  
"I thought you found that class on human interaction boring."  
  
"I lied." He smirked.  
  
"It figures." She shook her head.   
  
"So, allow me to kiss you good bye." He persisted. "I also heard Xanatos use the phrase 'kiss-and-make-up.' He described it as a gesture of reconciliation between two people."  
  
"That's usually reserved for lovers." She blurted.  
  
"Not always." He retorted. "You and I have had words. Amends have been made and apologies accepted. Now, we should kiss to seal the transaction."  
  
Wren stepped away from him. "That's not how it works, Demetrius."  
  
"We are friends and I wish to prove my sincerity." He told her. "While I have never kissed anyone, I want to know that all is well between us."  
  
"Not necessary." She stammered. "I believe you. I have to get back to the castle and finish my packing."  
  
"Wren-" His named carried the weight of a thousand summonses. "Do not go."  
  
"I have to." She sighed. "I shouldn't be here."  
  
"Let me or Goliath speak with Xanatos. All can be mended of that I am sure." He found the words speeding to leave his lips.  
  
"Everything has been finalized." She shook her head. "It's too late."  
  
"Nay, Milady. Did you not quote the many sayings of the great human philosopher, Yogi Bara. 'It ain't over 'till the fat lady swings?"  
  
"That's sings, Demetrius." She groaned.  
  
"We too have a saying. 'I shall only relent once the castle crumbles to dust.'" He moved closer. "I hope that you will stay."  
  
"Why?" She dared asked.  
  
"The clan needs you."  
  
"Not according to Atalanta." She countered. "She'd like it if I left."  
  
"She is one disheartened Gargoyle." He dismissed the Dame with a thought. "You know us well and you understand our ways."  
  
"Not really." She admitted. "You're always a mystery to me."  
  
"And you are not?" He exclaimed. "I rarely understand your motivations. Yet, I know that you relish your job as tutor. I know that I shall miss you as my friend."  
  
"You flatter me." She laughed wryly. "You can keep in touch. I taught you how to use the Internet and E-Mail."  
  
"It is poor substitute for proximity and conversation." Demetrius stepped closer. "If you will not stay for the clan, then stay for me."  
  
"What?" Wren almost choked on that statement.  
  
"I want you to stay because I have asked you." He repeated.  
  
"I don't you could afford my salary." She scoffed.  
  
"Where you go, I go." He reminded her.  
  
"That's while I worked for Xanatos." She reminded him. "I'm no longer his employee."  
  
"When a Gargoyle serves and protects, it is our finest moment."  
  
"You don't serve me." She snapped. "You're my friend."  
  
"As you are mine." He told her. "Where you go, I go."  
  
"Demetrius, don't be ridiculous! New York City isn't ready for-" She stopped herself.   
  
"Gargoyles live in New York City in case your memory fails you, Milady." He gently prompted her.  
  
"You have a point." She conceded. "But, it doesn't matter. This is your home, it isn't mine. This is your clan, they aren't mine. I can't stay here."  
  
"Why?" He asked the hardest question of her.  
  
"I just can't." She refused to give him the answer that ached inside her heart.  
  
"Coward."  
  
"Not the first time you've called me that." She muttered.  
  
"Nor will it be the last."  
  
"Better get it in while you still can." Wren turned away. She looked at him over her shoulder. "I leave shortly before sunrise."  
  
With speed that stole away her breath, he once again wrapped his tail about her waist and pulled her back against him. He embraced her with arms and wings and whispered in her ear. "Then, I shall miss you, Wren Summers."  
  
"I know." Tears threatened to flow again. "I'll miss you too, Demetrius."  
  
"Then, kiss me good bye." He urged her as he turned her to face him. "I shall never know a kiss from any human but you."  
  
"Why?" She lamented. "You don't need to have me kiss you good bye."  
  
"Aye, but I do, Milady." He gently cupped Wren's face carefully in his large ebon hands. He slowly lowered his had and chastely touched his lips to hers. It was an intimacy unlike any he had ever known. Feeling the warmth of her lips against his brought an unfamiliar sensation upon him. Longing more for her closeness, he pressed her closer to him.  
  
A tingling undercurrent of desparation coursed through him. Wanting washed over him as they touched this way for the first time. Demetrius reveled in the contours of her form fitting perfectly against his body.  
  
Wren felt a dam of restraint give away to abandon as Demetrius pressed his entire body against her. Of their own volition, her arms wrapped themselves around his muscular neck. Her fingers gave into the temptation of entwining themselves into his thick silky silver mane. When he felt her fingers in his hair, Demetrius let forth a deep purr of pleasure. He lifted Wren from the ground and embraced her with his strong arms and expansive wings.  
  
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered Goliath and Hudson mentioning that kissing a human caused most Gargoyles to be besotted with forceful feelings of desire. Now, he understood why kissing remained almost exclusively a Human custom. He had seen Adrienne and Goliath kiss. He remembered a candid conversation about this particular curiosity. Goliath mentioned that the play of tongues was often reserved only for those of non-platonic affection. At the time of the conversation Demetrius thought Goliath's candid description of tongue play a bizarre display of affection; almost beastly. Now, it seemed forbidden and enticing.  
  
Experimentally, he flicked Wren's sweet-tasting lips with his longer, smoother tongue. He heard her gasp of surprise. He stole the priceless opportunity to deepen their kiss. He took pleasure in tasting the colored stain upon her lips. It had the flavor of melon and berry. Pleased that her reaction caused her to mewl, he shyly let their tongues meet.  
  
The warm glow of satisfaction the Gargoyle felt exploded into an inferno. His rumbling per erupted into a growl of unadulterated Gargoyle desire. His muffled roar deepened as he savored Wren's kiss and flavor to the fullest. He fell to his knees from the sheer power of a kiss upon a Gargoyle. Demetrius brought Wren to the sand with him. The gentle chaste kiss erupted into something that sparked deep, primal feelings of arousal within him for the diminutive human friend.  
  
He found himself inhaling her scent. Wren smelled of rain and roses. Almost intoxicated, he sought to see if her scent declared her mated. He found no mark of musk from another male upon her. No other male's mark touched her skin. The floral aroma emanating from her implied to Demetrius a rare find. His songbird was unknown to the ways of mating.  
  
"Wren," He nuzzled her neck. "You're innocent."  
  
"What?" His question barely penetrated the mesmerizing haze of arousal surrounding her.  
  
"You are untouched?" He asked with a growl.  
  
"What are you talking about?" She mumbled as Demetrius blazed a trail of sensuous bites along the graceful contour of her neck. He growled as she responded with a gasp of pleasure. She instinctively bared her neck as a dame did in mate play. Tenderly, he nipped her until he broke skin. He then marked her as his as he tasted her essence.  
  
"You're innocent, you've never blossomed." He spoke as his breath of hot ginger teased her skin. The pain of his fangs grazing her neck caused her to abruptly awaken from her desire-laden haze.   
  
"Demetrius, STOP!" She demanded clearly for the first time in minutes. His tail slinked possessively upwards. He let forth another growl of Masculine Gargoyle possession.  
  
"Nay, Milady." He whispered darkly into her ear. "I think thou dost protest too much." He seemed oblivious to her plea. She saw his eyes glow and he let forth a growl followed by a smile. She remembered hearing that Gargoyles tended to get caught in their passions. Human kisses did that to them on occasion.  
  
Wren slapped him soundly on the cheek. "STOP, Please!"  
  
The Ebon Gargoyle's head reeled from the strong blow. The onslaught of sharp pain to his cheek instantly cleared his head of the passion-induced frenzy. He immediately released Wren from his embrace. She remained on the ground while he abruptly backed away from her. He rose to his feet and silently turned from her.  
  
She watched him cloak himself in the protective shroud of his wings. She saw his fist clench tightly. "Wren, I beg your forgiveness. I meant not to enforce my attentions upon you."  
  
"I know you never would have hurt me." She couldn't find the strength to get to her feet. "It's not your way."  
  
"Mate play as such between Gargoyles is natural. Assuredly, it would cause you injury." He rasped as if trying to rein in a wild beast. "I know not what came over me."  
  
"Goliath and Hudson have both kissed Humans. They've both told us that it has an unusual affect on Gargoyles." She reached for words. She wanted anything to take away the tension of the moment. "I think it's because you're sense of taste is far more acute than that of humans. Taste is, of course, related to smell. Animal use smell to determine arousal...the kiss just has that affect."  
  
She was rambling and she knew it.  
  
"I am no animal." He growled and faced her. She scurried back in the sand trying to rise to her feet. He saw at once he frightened her. The glow in his eyes immediately subsided. Demetrius kneeled in front of her with a plaintive expression. "Wren, I am sorry. I've frightened you twice this evening. I mean you no harm."  
  
"I know." She replied. "You have to admit, that was some kiss. Hudson told me about how chemistry between Gargoyles and humans was rather volatile."  
  
"It is not always that way between every Human and every Gargoyle." He muttered.  
  
"How do you know? You've never kissed a Human before now." She asked.  
  
"Princess Katherine once brought her lips to mine in an innocent display of thanks. It nay had such power over me. It merely was a kiss. Yet, this kiss between us became greater than us. That is not common amongst Humans or Gargoyles."  
  
"You've been watching way too much television and reading too many of my romance novels." Her sarcasm did little to levy the weight of the situation.  
  
"Wren, upon my word of honor I meant only to offer reconciliation and instead I almost mated you." Demetrius dared himself to say the words and look at her. "I have already done as much."  
  
"What do you mean?" Wren didn't understand. "We didn't even come close to having sex. It was just one kiss. You'll get over it."  
  
"Nay, in the haze of my passion, I marked you." He whispered.  
  
"What do you mean?" Then, Wren remembered the broken skin of his bite upon her neck. Her hand went to it and she saw the thin traces of her blood upon her fingers. "So, you got a bit excited. It'll heal."  
  
"You do not understand my meaning." Demetrius sighed and took her hand in his. "I marked you with my scent."  
  
"It'll wash off." She shrugged. "I know Gargoyles have scent glands that mark territory, mates..." Her words struck home. "You didn't!"  
  
His head hung low. "Aye, Milady. I marked you."  
  
"It doesn't wash off!" She barely said above a whisper.  
  
"I know."  
  
"It doesn't mean anything." She continued. "We didn't have sex. We aren't married. Think of it as the Gargoyle version of the one-night-stand."  
  
"Gargoyles do not indulge in one night stands." He growled.  
  
"Why are we even discussing this? I leave tomorrow." She looked at him with soulful eyes. "Demetrius, we simply got carried away. It was an accident. It's not like you love me. You didn't take my virginity. Everything is fine."  
  
"Milady, I marked you of my own volition. The clan will recognize you as my mate. I will not desert you." He vowed.   
  
"Demetrius," Wren wanted to hug him for his words. "You and I are friends. I won't hold you to any Gargoyle obligations. You were carried away in the heat of the moment."  
  
"Did that kiss mean nothing to you?" He demanded. "I felt you respond. You are not usually a woman of great passion. Yet, I felt your blood surge and I heart your heart race and breath come in rapid, shallow pants. Tell me it meant nothing to you."  
  
"It was nice. It was touching." She lied.  
  
"It was far more than that." Demetrius told her. "There is something alive between us that we have dared not acknowledge. Yet, now it is between us again and at the time that you are about to leave. Have you perchance thought that what we call friendship may be far deeper than the ties of agape?"  
  
"I have to go now." She said in a small voice. "I've..Come to care deeply about you; more than I should. The story of my life; falling for inaccessible men ...or Gargoyles. Goodbye, Demetrius."  
  
She ran into the castle.  
  
Demetrius stood alone in the night watching her form fade into the darkness. What he called friendship was deeper than mere affection and far more profound than meager devotion. This particular emotion came upon Gargoyles usually once in their lifetime. It went beyond lust and desire. It was bigger than need. It was the one thing that had eluded him at one mating moon in the past. It was the one emotion that he felt for Wren that had crept into his life and claimed him for her only. It was the one feeling that he dare not speak her name for he might die from the true bliss of it.  
  
EPILOGUE  
  
Settled in her new apartment, Wren unpacked the final boxes of her belongings. Six days in the States and her longings for Caledon had not lessened. Her ache for Demetrius remained constant. She busied herself with typing her resume and answering job ads. She used her resources to procure several potentially profitable job interviews. For the most part, she remained occupied. She had little time to think of Demetrius.  
  
Yet, late at night with only hot cocoa and reruns for company, Wren couldn't drive the pain away. She ached for her Ebon Gargoyle. Had she not kissed him, she would have parted Caledon Isle unscathed. Now, she carried his mark upon her and she would carry it for the rest of her days. That didn't bother her. What bothered her was that she had been too much of a coward to stay and explore these deep new feelings between them.  
  
She sat at her computer and wrote yet another fluffy Mary Sue fanfic of her favorite television show, Defenders of the Night.  
  
[Too close to home for me.] She chuckled.  
  
There was a knock at her window. She went to answer it.  
  
[Wait... my WINDOW?] She almost exclaimed aloud.  
  
She grabbed a knife from the kitchen and slowly edged her way toward the balcony. She saw a massive figure standing outside the curtained French doors. It looked like Goliath's silhouette.  
  
[What is Goliath doing back in the States? He and Adrienne must have come back to raise Greer here.] She recalled telling them shortly before her departure to drop by if they were ever in town.  
  
She opened the door. The knife fell from her hand and clattered noisily onto the tile floor. A lavender leviathan didn't stand in front of her.  
  
Wren knew this Gargoyle. She remembered the very first night she had seen him. She recalled her thoughts of him and how they fit here and now.  
  
"...He must have been six or seven feet tall. He was broad-shouldered with sculpted muscles and a powerful presence. His thick hair flowed as a silver avalanche down his back. His skin resembled the polished darkness of hematite. It was black like the midnight sky. His wings unfurled their entire length, monstrous in their bat-like appearance. Between the struts the skin appeared to be dark plum or silver. ...When he smiled at her, I thought I would faint."  
  
"Demetrius...."   
  
"Where you go, I go. Where you lead, I follow. Where you are, I will be. I will always protect you. I will always-" He said those words as though they were vows.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She interrupted him. "How did you get here?"  
  
"Goliath and the Manhattan clan have returned and I have joined them." He declared. "I wanted to see beyond the shores of Caledon. Now, I will and I like what I see."  
  
"Big Apple should be considered forbidden fruit." She countered. "Why?"  
  
"Need you ask?" Demetrius asked tenderly. "I can not so easily resign our kiss to mere folly. It meant much more to me. I know it did for you as well."  
  
"It did." She admitted. "It's been haunting me all week."  
  
"Wren," He stood outside on the balcony. She motioned him inwards. "I found you through your forwarding address. Wonderful technology that which is the Internet. I know our kiss's depth was far more than simple chemistry. There is something precious between us that are not yet ready to bear its true name. We know what it is...yet, it frightens you and me."  
  
"And?"  
  
"I want to name it... I want to share it with you." He declared.  
  
"It's just all so much."  
  
"Wren, don't run. Please, I have waited a thousand years to know you. I can be a worthy mate."  
  
"Whoa, cowboy!" She stepped back from him. "I'm not ready to mate....how about dating me first?"  
  
"Dating?" He shook his head. "As in courtship?"  
  
"Aye, the laddie is onto somethin'" She told him in a decent rendition of a Scottish accent.  
  
"You wish me to court you?" He asked with enthusiasm.  
  
"It doesn't mean that we'll automatically end up with anything. Remember, you're Gargoyle and I'm human. I'm not so hot on the inter-species thing." Wren protested. "You've been warned."  
  
"Then perhaps I can convince you that in the darkness of Midnight Confessions, love knows no one form or one way of expression. It is blind but knows all."  
  
"Kiss me?"  
  
"Not on your life." She denied him. Then, she winked. "Not for a while at least."  
  
-fin  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: THIS ISN'T OFFICIALLY PART OF 'SAINTS IN THE NIGHT.' I WROTE THIS BECAUSE I WAS IN THE MOOD FOR A 'SHIPPER' PIECE. I'M PLAYING AROUND WITH CHARACTER CONCEPTS HERE. IF YOU LIKED THIS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. OTHERWISE, JUST CONSIDER THIS ONE BORED HOUSEWIFE'S ATTEMPT TO FIND ROMANCE IN A KISS.   



	2. A Quick Preface Before The Story.

Author's Note: This piece was written in the Summer of 2001. I recently posted a story based upon this...but with a different pov. I've dusted off the mothballs and brought it back into the public forum. If you're a Demetrius and Wren fan, then you know this is the kiss that changed everything! 


End file.
